*I felt uncomfortable being so visible to my neighbors doing something new. In other words, performance anxiety. (Or in my case, I didn't want to confirm to my neighbors that I am, in fact, the neighborhood goofball, just by doing one more thing out of the ordinary.)

I thought I was the only neighborhood goofball~(hence the avitar) I still feel just as you did but as I ride more I feel better.

The biggest thing I think a beginner like me should do is just ride and have fun. Also everytime I ride I try to work on some tip I read somewhere like here. I play with the gears and I laugh at how goofy I must look.